Kansas City Chiefs And The University of Kansas Hospital Announce Major Healthcare Partnership

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kansas City Chiefs and The University of Kansas Hospital have announced a 10-year partnership that brings a comprehensive healthcare program to the team, encompassing its players, staff, and fans. Soon, it will include sports medicine access for the entire community, making it one of the first of its kind in the National Football League.

As the Official Healthcare Provider of the Chiefs, The University of Kansas Hospital will provide a complete team of physician specialists for the Chiefs covering virtually every aspect of healthcare. As an academic medical center, The University of Kansas Hospital and its clinical partners will work with the Chiefs to provide education and research for innovative advancement in sports-related health issues affecting athletes. In addition, the hospital will continue to manage and provide care in the First Aid Stations at Arrowhead Stadium events as it has for the past year.

Showcasing the integrated approach of the partnership, the Chiefs Training Facility will be renamed The University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Within the training complex, the hospital will open a sports medicine clinic to provide on-site medical personnel and equipment to Chiefs players. The sports medicine clinic will be open to the public, serving athletes of all ages.

Expected to open in summer 2013, full details regarding the clinic will be released at a later date. The clinic will occupy space in the current complex that houses the club's administrative offices and the team's indoor and outdoor practice fields. (Click here to learn more about benefits to all patients.)

"We are extremely excited to announce this partnership with The University of Kansas Hospital," Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. "Health and safety are very important issues, not only for our players, but also for our staff and fans. We challenged ourselves to find the best healthcare solution, and we believe that we will receive first-class healthcare and attention from The University of Kansas Hospital."

"With this partnership, our goal is to be a leader in comprehensive healthcare in the National Football League," Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. "The combination of on-site care for our team, our staff, fans at Arrowhead and athletes and their families in the entire Kansas City region creates a very valuable resource for us all."

"The University of Kansas Hospital is honored to partner with the Chiefs to bring an all-inclusive approach to team healthcare," said Bob Page, President and CEO of The University of Kansas Hospital. "As a hospital and in partnership with our physicians, we are making a major commitment to orthopedics and sports medicine. Our goal, which we believe we achieve with this partnership, is to provide the Chiefs with the most innovative and comprehensive healthcare program in the NFL."

The University of Kansas Hospital, which is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's best hospitals, opened its Center for Sports Medicine at its Kansas City, Kan. campus in August 2011. The hospital is also the Official Healthcare Provider for the Kansas City Royals, Sprint Center and Kansas Speedway.